Silent check-valve



Oce. 1, 196s G. PYNCHQN 3,403,696

S ILENT CHECK- VALVE Filed 001,. 20, 1966 INVENTOR.

//i//MWJIQ ATTORNEY 650265'- Pme/40N United States Patent O 3,403,696 SILENT CHECK-VALVE George Pynchon, 54 Northfield Ave., Northfield, Ohio 44067 Filed Oct. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 588,180 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-516.13)

This invention relates to check-valves responsive to fluid ow, and particularly to a ipper type valve.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a silent check-valve having no springs or fulcrum elements subject to vibration or chattering in their operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved check-valve device that is sensitive to the extent of quickly assuming a maximum full flow position under relatively light pressures but which will close olf virtually instantaneously as promptly as flow ceases and back pressure tends to develop.

A further object is to provide a check-valve of the type stated whose operation is not affected by its angular inclination, so that it is equally effective in vertical, horizontal, or intermediate positions.

Still another object is to provide a silent check-valve whose co-operating head and seat elements are made of non-corrosive, self cleaning, non-vibratile plastic materials, such as natural rubber and nylon.

Other objects are to provide a silent check-valve that is reliable in operation, of long life, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These, and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the silent check-valve that is the subject of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the same;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the valve head unit in its unmounted condition;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the unmounted nylon valve seat disc;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the check-valve showing it mounted in a vertical pipe line;

FIGURE 9 is a side view showing the check-valve mounted in a horizontal pipe line; and,

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation showing the check-valve used as a foot valve, with a terminal strainer, for well installations.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in FIGURE 1 the silent check-valve that is the subject of the invention, broadly indicated by reference numeral 10.

The check-valve 10 is made up of three elements, namely, a hollow cylindrical body 11, a valve seat disc 15, mounted in the body 11, intermediate the ends thereof, and a flipper valve head 20 mounted on the valve disc 15, as is seen most clearly in FIGURE 4.

The hollow body 11 is open at both ends, with a threaded bore 12 therethrough, adapted to receive the threaded ends of standard pipe 26, as seen in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10.

The disc unit 15 is molded from nylon or other plastic material having similar characteristics of extreme toughness, low water absorption and high tensile strength.

As seen most clearly in FIGURES 6 and 7, the disc 15 'ice has flat and'parallel faces with its peripheral edge 16 threaded to rotatably interit the threaded body bore 12. The disc 15 has a centered bore 17 adapted to snugly receive the stern 23 of the valve head 20, as seen in FIG- URE 4. The disc 15 also has a plurality of lluid passages 18 therethrough, surrounding the central bore 17.

The value head unit 20, as seen in its unmounted condition in FIGURE 5, is preferably molded as one piece from natural rubber, or similar inherently resilient material.

Reference numeral 21 indicates an inherently resilient valve cap, tapered to a circumferential feathered edge 22. The cap 21 has a centered, dependent, mounting stem 23 with a frusto-conical locking button 24 at the lower end thereof, terminating at its apex in an elongated tail 25.

In assembling the check-valve 10, the valve seat disc 15 is threaded into the body bore 12 until it is centered between the open ends thereof, as seen in FIGURE 4. The wall of the body is then subjected to localized compression, at the threaded edge of the nylon disc 15, to form a compression groove 13, at which point the metal threads of the body 11 are displaced inwardly against the threaded edge 16 of the nylon disc to effect a plastic flow that both locks the disc 15 in place and creates a fluid-tight seal between the disc and body. No lock nuts, rivets, or separate sealing gaskets are required.

The valve head 20 is then mounted on the disc 15 by positioning the tapered frusto-conical lock button 24 at the disc bore 17, with the tail 25 extended through and beyond the bore 17.

The valve head is then easily mounted in place by rst wetting the surface of the button 24, to reduce frictional drag, and then pulling on the tail until the valve stem 23 is nested in the bore 17 with the valve cap 21 and the lock button 24 seated against opposite faces of the disc 15, as again seen in FIGURE 4.

The cap 21 of the so mounted valve head 20 normally seats fiat against the upper face 28 of the disc 15, covering all the fluid passages 18.

Reference numeral 30 indicates arrows embossed on the outer surface of the body 11 to indicate the intended f direction of fluid flow through the check-valve 10.

Normally the valve cap 21 occupies the solid line position of FIGURE 4. It can be assumed that fluid flows in the direction of the arrows 30.

As this fluid, under pressure, ows through passages 1-8 and impinges against the underside of the valve cap 21, pressure will tend to distort it. The distortion results in displacement of the cap 21 from the solid line position of FIGURE 4 to the broken line position 21a of FIG- -URE 4.

The inherent resiliency of the material forming the valve cap causes it to ilip away from the passages 18, in response to the lluid pressure, thereby admitting a free flow of uid through the passages 18 in the direction of the arrows 30.

As promptly as flow ceases, the inherent resiliency of the valve head cap 21 will exercise itself and return the cap 21a to its initial full line position wherein it results on the disc seat 28 and covers all the passages 18 therein. Since the valve head element is of very light weight rubber, or rubber-like synthetic or plastic material, the exures described can be repeated many thousands of times before there is any material wear or decrease in effectiveness, at which time the valve head unit can be easily replaced, without the use of any tools.

The described movement of the valve head produces no sound since all the materials involved are non-vibratile.

It will, of course, be apparent that any back-pressure in the line controlled by the check-valve, such as occurs when it is used as a foot valve in a well installation, as shown in FIGURE 10, will act to press the cap 21 securely against its seat 28 and `sealof the passages 18 through the disc 15, and prevent back-ow of any fluid in the line.

- Since all the action of the check-valve is accomplished solely through the described flexing of the valvehead 20 itself it does not matter in what position the unit 10 is installed.

It may be installed in either vertical 0r horizontal pipe-lines 26, as seen in FIGURES 8 and 9, or it may be positioned at the lower end of a vertical well-pipeline with a conventional filter cage 27 screwed into its intake end, as seen in FIGURE l0.l

` It will now be clear that there is provided a device which ,accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While vthe invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof, as described and illustrated herein, is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms of modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

` I claim:

1. A silent check-valve adapted to control fluid ow in a pipe line, comprising in combination:

(a) ahollow cylindrical body, having a threaded bore therethrough, adapted to be inserted in a pipe line;

(b) a rigid, non-vibratile, plastic disc having a threaded peripheraledge, threadedly mounted in the body bore intermediate the ends thereof;

the disc having parallel lower and upper faces dening a valve seat having a central valve stern bore surrounded by a plurality of spaced fluid passages; (c) the body wall being circumferentally displaced Ainwardly, atY the disc, to effect plastic flow of the threaded disc edge, and lock the disc against rotation and create a fluid-tight seal between the disc and the body bore wall; and,

(d) a unitary valve-head, fabricated from inherently resilient, non-vibratile, plastic material, having a circular cap tapered to a circumferential feathered edge, and a dependent mounting stem having a frustoconical retaining button at the lower end thereof terminating, at its apex, in an elongated tail;

v(e) the valve-head being mounted on the disc, with its stem nested in the disc center bore and its cap and button seated against the upper and lower faces, respectively, of the disc;

(f) the valve-head cap being free to flip, responsive to uid pressure in the pipe line, between a first position, wherein it is seated against the upper disc face, whereat it covers all the fluid passages to block fluid How, and a second position, wherein its periphery is flexed away from the upper disc face, clear of the passageways, to allow free flow of fluid therethrough.

2. A silent check-valve, as in claim 1, wherein, the disc is fabricated from nylon and the valve-head is fabricated of natural rubber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,576,637 11/1951 Patriguin IS7-516.11 X 2,777,464 l/l957 Mosely 137-516.13 3,055,390 9/1962 Scheldorf l37-5l6.l5

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SILENT CHECK-VALVE ADAPTED TO CONTROL FLUID FLOW IN A PIPE LINE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BODY, HAVING A THREADED BORE THERETHROUGH, ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN A PIPE LINE; (B) A RIGID, NON-VIBRATILE, PLASTIC DISC HAVING A THREADED PERIPHERAL EDGE, THREADEDLY MOUNTED IN THE BODY BORE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF; THE DISC HAVING A PARALLEL LOWER AND UPPER FACES DEFINING A VALVE SEAT HAVING A CENTRAL VALVE STEM BORE SURROUNDED BY A PLURALITY OF SPACED FLUID PASSAGES; (C) THE BODY WALL BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPLACED INWARDLY, AT THE DISC, TO EFFECT PLASTC FLOW OF THE THREADED DISC EDGE, AND LOCK THE DISC AGAINST ROTATION AND CREATE A FLUID-TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN THE DISC AND THE BODY BORE WALL; AND, (D) A UNITARY VALVE-HEAD, FABRICATED FROM INHERENTLY RESILIENT, NON-VIBRATILE, PLASTIC MATERIAL, HAVING A CIRCULAR CAP TAPERED TO A CIRCUMFERENTIAL FEATHERED EDGE, AND A DEPENDENT MOUNTING STEM HAVING A FRUSTOCONICAL RETAINING BOTTOM AT THE LOWER END THEREOF TERMINATING, AT ITS APEX, IN AN ELONGATED TAIL; 